Recipe

September 25, 2024

The Milos “Special” (Fried Zucchini and Eggplant Chips) with Tzatziki

Recipe: Costas Spiliadis

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From the H&H archives, the airy vegetable chips are stacked around fresh-made tzatziki and sided with oozing fried cheese.

Ingredients

Tzatziki

  • 1/2 large English cucumber, seeded and shredded
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 150 mL Greek goat’s milk yogurt
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp Greek extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Vegetable Chips

  • Canola oil, for shallow frying
  • 1/2 medium zucchini, sliced paper-thin
  • 1/2 small Italian eggplant, sliced paper-thin
  • All-purpose flour, for coating vegetables and cheese
  • 1/2 cup fresh oregano, roughly chopped
  • Sea salt to taste
  • 5 oz. kefalotyri or kefalograviera cheese, cut into slices (Kefalotyri is a sharp goat’s milk cheese, while kefalograviera is a salty sheep’s milk; both are sold in cheese shops and Greek food shops. If you can’t find either, substitute aged Asiago)

Directions

Yield: Serves 4

  1. To make tzatziki, sprinkle shredded cucumber with sea salt. Set aside in a colander and let drain for 1 hour.
  2. In a bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  3. To make vegetable chips, pour 1″ to 2″ oil into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan (a wok will also work) and heat oil to 350ºF.
  4. Place zucchini and eggplant slices in a bowl of warm water. Working with a few slices at a time, remove from water and shake off excess, coat with flour and shake off excess. Dip slices back in the water, then carefully place into the hot oil. Watch out — the water will cause the oil to splatter. Fry vegetable slices until crisp and golden brown, then, using a skimmer or slotted spoon, remove chips and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with sea salt and oregano; set aside.
  5. To make fried cheese, cut slices into quarters. Dip quarters in water, then flour. Repeat dipping in water and flour 3 more times, finishing with the flour. Using the same saucepan used for vegetable chips, fry cheese quarters in hot oil (if needed, add more oil to saucepan) until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.
  6. Just before serving, beat the tzatziki sauce with a wooden spoon until smooth. Dry the cucumber by gently squeezing it between paper towels and stir into tzatziki.
  7. To serve, place a mound of tzatziki in the middle of four appetizer plates. Carefully stack the vegetable chips around the tzatziki, forming a tall circular tower. Place fried cheese slices around the base of the vegetable tower. Serve at once.
Author: Amy Rosen
Photographer:

Angus McRitchie

Stylist:

Food styling by Ashley Denton/Prop Styling by Sasha Seymour

Tags: costas spiliadis estiatorio milos greek food milos restaurant milos special

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